A CONFERENCE on school bullying was due to take place in Lancashire today.

The County Council says it will tackle the issues of bullying in schools with interested parties in an attempt to prevent the problem blighting the lives of young people.

More than 120 delegates from schools across the country, including headteachers, pastoral and behaviour support staff, learning support assistants and educational psychologists, were due to attend the session at Chorley's Woodland Conference Centre.

Keynote speakers were Heather Hardy, the council's counselling services manager, who explained Lancashire's work developing peer-counselling services in secondary schools and David Croall who discussed the legal implications of bullying.

County Councillor Alan Whittaker, cabinet member for education and young people, said: "The principle aim of this project has been to identify and promote good practice and to try to raise awareness of the issue of bullying in schools.

"We need to help staff identify bullying where it occurs and act in a way that has already had proven results. In this way we can enable all our children to enjoy and thrive during their school lives."